Romeu Zema, the presidential candidate for Brazil's liberal Novo party, called for a major expansion of the national agricultural insurance scheme during a campaign event in Esteio, Rio Grande do Sul, on Sunday.
Speaking to journalists at the Expointer trade exhibition, Zema highlighted agribusiness as the fastest growing economic sector in the country and argued that expanded crop insurance coverage was essential for rural producers.
Zema stated that as president he wanted crop insurance to advance further than ever before, noting that agricultural producers in developed nations routinely rely on such financial tools. He recalled that Rio Grande do Sul is frequently affected by extreme weather conditions that damage harvests, leaving lifelong farming families facing heavy debts and the threat of losing their land. He added that the Brazilian state needed to wake up to the problem and provide security for workers in the countryside.
Expointer is recognized as one of the largest agricultural trade exhibitions in Latin America, hosted annually in Esteio, a municipality located near Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. The state of Rio Grande do Sul is a primary hub for Brazilian grain, rice, and livestock production.
Agrarian policy and land disputes
During his appearance, Zema also criticized the current leadership of the Ministry of Agrarian Development. He accused the federal ministry of funding land invasions, describing such actions as inadmissible in a country that depends so heavily on agricultural production.
He promised that if elected president, he would give total support to the agricultural sector, which he described as the locomotive of Brazil, matching the backing he provided during his time as governor.
Zema has served as governor of Minas Gerais, an influential mining and agricultural state in southeastern Brazil, since 2019. The Partido Novo, or New Party, is a political organization that advocates for free-market economics, deregulation, and private enterprise across Brazil.
